Morrinsville dairy farmer Rick Jones says accurate pasture measurement is key to profitability, with digital tools helping farmers unlock more value from their grass.
Rick milks 450 predominantly Jersey cows on 129 hectares in the Waikato. He says small gains in pasture management can make a big difference to the bottom line.
“The challenge across the industry is really about finding those micro efficiencies,” he says. “Margins are tight, and it’s the small gains in pasture management that make the difference. If we can get pasture growth right, we can hold production without leaning so heavily on supplements.”
Rick has noticed shifts in pasture growth patterns in recent years, making planning more complex.
“Weather is more variable now, and it can throw your rounds out. We’ve had times when growth has been unpredictable. That’s pushed us to be more disciplined with measurement and to keep double-checking what’s really happening in the paddock.”
Accurate data to back decisions
Rick says one of the biggest opportunities for farmers lies in having accurate data to back up decisions. For the past year he has been using AIMER Vision, an AI-powered smartphone-based tool that measures and monitors pasture growth.
With AIMER you can use your smartphone to quickly scan pasture covers and save hours by measuring only part of your farm while AIMER estimates the rest.
“Before, we used more traditional measuring methods and would just get a basic set of pasture covers. You’d then have to guess the growth and put together a simple grazing plan.
“Now the measurements go straight into our AIMER app, and back in the office we can see where surpluses or deficits are, check the round length, and be much more precise with supplements.”
Running AIMER alongside his traditional measurement methods of the CDax has given Rick greater confidence.
“We tested it side by side and I was really pleased. It’s accurate for both pre- and post-grazing. Even going back into a paddock three days later, you can scan it and see exactly where you’re at. That accuracy is a big benefit.”
He says the live updates have also helped with longer-term planning.
“The daily estimation of what’s in each paddock and the annual growth records are really useful. We reseed about 20% of the farm each year, and now we’ve got accurate data to guide which paddocks get reseeded or go into chicory.”
Tech as an assistant, not a replacement
Rick believes digital tools should support a farmer’s knowledge, not replace it.
“You know the farm better than AI ever will. I use it as an assistant. It shapes the decisions and plans, but you still adjust things based on what you see.”
He says the real value comes from the practical information they provide.
“Technology won’t ever replace a farmer’s eye, but AIMER has become a really useful tool. It gives you live growth rates, optimisation scores, and pasture records you can rely on. It means you’re not just guessing but you’ve got something solid to work from.”
Looking ahead, Rick is optimistic about the role of new tools on-farm, but he remains pragmatic.
“For me it’s about the accuracy and the time saving. If you can scan a paddock in seconds and know exactly what you’ve got, that’s huge. Looking further ahead, I think drones could be game changers. At the end of the day, farmers just want accurate information from reliable technology so we can make the right decisions.”
For Rick, the message is simple. “The most profitable thing on the farm is your grass. So, you need to get that right.”
